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Sony SmartWatch 3 Sony recently launched the latest generation of their Android
watch, the SmartWatch 3, and it really gives the Apple Watch a run for its money…
While there has been much pomp and fanfare surrounding the launch of the Apple Watch, Sony have actually been making a SmartWatch for Android since 2012, although few among us would recall hearing about the original SmartWatch. This is because it was, to all intents and purposes, a quiet soft launch for the product range, and wasn’t pushed in a big way, globally, as Sony was really testing the water for both the product’s usability and the market’s reception. The SmartWatch 2 was the one they pushed in a big way, and while it was a decent offering, poor display quality and buggy software held it back somewhat. The SmartWatch 3, however, is where everything comes together nicely, and all issues are addressed. In case you’re not up-to-date with these things, a smart watch is a device that links up to your smartphone to provide instant updates and functionality with a glance at your wrist. It will notify you through tones and/or vibrations when you receive messages, set reminders, and so on. With the SmartWatch 3, you can fully personalise the screen’s display, going for a digital readout, with a customisable selection of information displayed alongside the time, or a more classical analogue display, again with a range of watch faces to select and download. 64
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One of the downfalls of the SmartWatch 2 was a limited choice of apps to download. However, as with any new product, the choice only increases with time, and by now the SmartWatch 3 has a much wider range of apps to choose from. Another improvement is in the exterior styling. The SmartWatch 3 looks much more like a watch than its predecessor, improved greatly by an integrated design, with a new choice of metallic and leather straps, which look as good as many formal dress watches. And the best part? The straps are interchangeable – you can remove the watch from the strap, which means that you can have a range of straps to suit your day-to-day style. The SmartWatch 3 boasts a 4GB memory for songs and apps, and the in-built Bluetooth 4.1 means that you can stream music from the watch to Bluetooth speakers or headset. It also boasts built-in GPS, WiFi and NFC, as well as a micro-USB port.
VERDICT: Initial complaints with the previous generation SmartWatches have all been addressed. It’s more functional, less buggy, and offers more than its rivals. It also now competes in terms of style, especially with the new metal and leather watchstraps. In our humble opinion, it’s the best Android smart watch on the market right now, and at about half the price of the Apple Watch, it’s great value too!